2 Thessalonians 3

1 As for the other matters, [our] fellow believers, pray for us that more and more [people will] hear [PRS] our message [about our] Lord [Jesus]. Pray that they will believe this message, as you [have done].

In conclusion, Brothers, pray for us — pray that the Lord’s Message may spread rapidly, and be received everywhere with honour, as it was among you;

2 Pray also for us that we will be rescued {that God will rescue us} from those very perverse/evil people [here] who [cause us to suffer. Pray like that] because [they and many others] refuse to believe [LIT] [this message].

and that we may be preserved from wrong-headed and wicked men — for it is not every one who believes in Christ.

3 [Remember that our] Lord [Jesus] is trustworthy! [So we are sure that] he will cause you to continue to be steadfast. [We are also sure that] he will protect you from [Satan], the evil one (OR, from evil).

But the Lord will not fail you; he will give you strength, and guard you from Evil.

4 [Because of your close relationship with our] Lord [Jesus], we are confident that you are obeying what we have commanded you, and we are confident that you will obey what we are commanding [you in this letter].

Yes, and the confidence that our union with the Lord enables us to place in you leads us to believe that you are doing, and will do, what we direct you.

5 [We pray that our] Lord [Jesus] would enable you to continue [knowing] that God loves you. [We pray] also that Christ will cause you to continue [being] steadfast (OR, being steadfast as he [was steadfast]).

May the Lord bring you to the love of God, and to the patience of the Christ.

6 [Our] fellow believers, we command you, with the authority [MTY] that our Lord Jesus Christ [has given to us], that you stop associating with every fellow believer who is lazy and refuses to work. That is, you must stay away from those who are not [conducting their lives] in the manner that we taught you.

We urge you, Brothers, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to avoid any Brother who is living an ill-ordered life, which is not in agreement with the teaching that you received from us.

7 [We tell you this] because you yourselves know that you should [behave] like we [behaved]. We (did not just sit [around] without working/were never lazy) [while we were living] among you.

For you know well that you ought to follow our example. When we were with you, our life was not ill-ordered,

8 Specifically, we did not eat anyone’s food if we did not pay [that person] for it. Instead, we worked very hard ([to support ourselves/to earn the money to buy what we needed]). We worked hard [DOU] during the day and during the night, in order that we would not have to depend on any of you [to supply what we needed].

nor did we eat any one’s bread without paying for it. Night and day, labouring and toiling, we used to work at our trades, so as not to be a burden upon any of you.

9 We have always had the right [to depend on you for money, but instead we worked hard in order to make ourselves] examples for you, in order that you should behave like we behave.

This was not because we had not a right to receive support, but our object was to give you a pattern for you to copy.

10 Remember that when we were [there] with you, we kept commanding you that if any [fellow believer] refuses to work, [you should not give] him food to eat.

Indeed, when we were with you, what we urged upon you was — ‘If a man does not choose to work, then he shall not eat.’

11 [We are commanding the same thing] again now, because someone has told us that some of you are lazy and not working at all, just interfering [with what other people are doing]!

We hear that there are among you people who are living ill-ordered lives, and who, instead of attending to their own business, are mere busy-bodies.

12 We command those fellow believers who are not working, and urge [them] by the authority [MTY] of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they settle down and (support themselves by working/work to earn money to buy what they need).

All such people we urge, and entreat, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to attend quietly to their business, and earn their own living.

13 Fellow believers! Do not ever get tired of doing what is right!

You, Brothers, must not grow weary of doing what is right.

14 If any [fellow believer refuses to work] and does not obey what I have written in this letter, ([publicly] identify that person/tell the congregation what that person is doing). Then do not associate with him, in order that he may become ashamed.

If any one disregards what we have said in this letter, mark that man and avoid his company, that he may feel ashamed.

15 Do not think of him as though he was [your] enemy; instead, warn him as [you would warn your other] fellow believers.

Yet do not think of him as an enemy, but caution him as you would a Brother.

16 [I pray that our] Lord [Jesus] himself, who [gives inner] peace [to his people], will give [inner] peace to you always (and in every situation/whatever happens). 2 Thessalonians 3:16b-18 I [pray that our] Lord [Jesus will continue to] help you all.

May the Lord, from whom all peace comes, himself give you his peace at all times and in all ways. May he be with you all.

17 Now, having taken the pen from my scribe, I, Paul, am sending this greeting to you as I write this myself [SYN]. I do this in all my letters in order that you may know that it is truly I who have sent this letter. This is how I always end my letters.

I, Paul, add this greeting in my own handwriting. It is my signature to every letter. This is how I write.

18 I pray that our Lord Jesus Christ will continue to act kindly to you all.

May the blessing of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.